2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

It was most likely an oral tradition and was later added into the Gospel. Although this narrative is not Johannine in style, it was incorporated into John's Gospel probably because of the thematic peculiarities it contained (Jesus' omniscience and divine authority, Mosaic Law and the contrast between Moses and Jesus, etc).

Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

If you want to apply this passage this way, then every book in the Bible after Deuteronomy breaks this law.

Quote

And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

This passage is in the Apocalypse of St. John and is only meant to apply to that particular book (the New Testament canon didn't exist yet.)

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Quote

“A goose to hatch the Crystal Egg after an Eagle had half-hatched it! Aye, aye, to be sure, that’s right,” said the Old Woman of Beare. “And now you must go find out what happened to it. Go now, and when you come back I will give you your name.”

It was most likely an oral tradition and was later added into the Gospel. Although this narrative is not Johannine in style, it was incorporated into John's Gospel probably because of the thematic peculiarities it contained (Jesus' omniscience and divine authority, Mosaic Law and the contrast between Moses and Jesus, etc).

The use of the term of address "Woman" is Johannine. In John's Gospel, Jesus calls every woman that way, even his own mother. The rest of the text is maybe not Johannine in style, but I am sure that the word "Woman" encouraged some scribes to put the pericope in the Gospel of John.

When I was Roman Catholic, we often joked saying the pericope was likely to be apocryphal. If the event depicted were true, the Virgin Mary would have cast the first stone.

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«One cannot understand the least thing about modern civilization if one does not first realize that it is a universal conspiracy to destroy the inner life.» (Georges Bernanos)

Someone mentioned that St. John Chyrsostom never mentioned this story in any of his homilies. Are you entirely sure about that? I highly doubt it. I could have sworn that he commented on that story--he's probably the only Church Father I've been extrensively reading. If I recall correctly, he did in fact mention this story and actually said that what Jesus wrote on the ground was the names of the Pharisees who themselves had committed adultery.

Someone mentioned that St. John Chyrsostom never mentioned this story in any of his homilies. Are you entirely sure about that? I highly doubt it. I could have sworn that he commented on that story--he's probably the only Church Father I've been extrensively reading. If I recall correctly, he did in fact mention this story and actually said that what Jesus wrote on the ground was the names of the Pharisees who themselves had committed adultery.

Now this is cool beans.

If you have any more info, links, or anything I could get more info on this, would love to read about it.

Someone mentioned that St. John Chyrsostom never mentioned this story in any of his homilies. Are you entirely sure about that? I highly doubt it. I could have sworn that he commented on that story--he's probably the only Church Father I've been extrensively reading. If I recall correctly, he did in fact mention this story and actually said that what Jesus wrote on the ground was the names of the Pharisees who themselves had committed adultery.

Now this is cool beans.

If you have any more info, links, or anything I could get more info on this, would love to read about it.

One is still to prove that an author is unable to change style or even to quote to prove that so-called interpolations are so.

Besides, here are some Fathers commenting on the passage:

CHAPTER VIII1. Jesus went to the mount of Olives.2. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him; and he sat down, and taught them.3. And the Scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4. They say to him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.5. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what say you? 6. This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.7. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.8. And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even to the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.10. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said to her, Woman, where are those your accusers? has no man condemned you? 11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more.

ALCUIN. Our Lord at the time of His passion used to spend the day in Jerusalem, preaching in the temple, and performing miracles, and return in the evening to Bethany, where He lodged with the sisters of Lazarus. Thus on the last day of the feast, having, according to His wont, preached the whole day in the temple, in the evening He went to the mount of Olives.

AUG. And where ought Christ to teach, except on the mount of Olives; on the mount of ointment, on the mount of chrism. For the name Christ is from chrism, chrism being the Greek word for unction. He has anointed us, for wrestling with the devil.

ALCUIN. The anointing with oil is a relief to the limbs, when wearied and in pain. The mount of Olives also denotes the height of our Lord’s pity, olive in the Greek signifying pity. The qualities of oil are such as to fit in to this mystical meaning. For it floats above all other liquids: and the Psalmist says, Your mercy is over all Your works. And early in the morning, He came again into the temple: i.e. to denote the giving and unfolding of His mercy, i.e. the now dawning light of the New Testament in the faithful, that is, in His temple. His returning early in the morning, signifies the new rise of grace.

BEDE. And next it is signified, that after He began to dwell by grace in His temple, i.e. in the Church, men from all nations would believe in Him: And all the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them.

ALCUIN. The sitting down, represents the humility of His incarnation. And the people came to Him, when He sat down, i.e. after taking up human nature, and thereby becoming visible, many began to hear and believe on Him, only knowing Him as their friend and neighbor. But while these kind and simple persons are full of admiration at our Lord’s discourse, the Scribes and Pharisees put questions to Him, not for the sake of instruction, but only to entangle the truth in their nets: And the Scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say to Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, if the very act.

AUG. They had remarked upon, Him already, as being over lenient. Of Him indeed it had I been prophesied, Ride on because of the word of truth, of meekness, and of righteousness. So as a teacher He exhibited truth, as a deliverer meekness, as a judge righteousness. When He spoke, His truth was acknowledged; when against His enemies He used no violence, His meekness was praised. So they raised the scandal on the score of justice For they said among themselves, If He decide to let her go He will not do justice; for the law cannot command what is unjust: Now Moses in the law commanded as, that such should be stoned: but to maintain His meekness, which has made Him already so acceptable to the people, He must decide to let her go. Wherefore they demand His opinion: And what say You? hoping to find an occasion to accuse Him, as a transgressor of the law: And this they said tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But our Lord in His answer both maintained His justice, and departed not from meekness. Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground.

AUG. As if to signify that such persons were to be written in earth, not in heaven, where He told His disciples they should rejoice they were v written. Or His bowing His head (to write on the ground), is an expression of humility; the writing on the ground signifying that His law was written on the earth which bore fruit, not on the barren stone, as before.

ALCUIN. The ground denotes the human heart, which yields the fruit either of good or of bad actions: the finger jointed and flexible, discretion. He instructs us then, when we see any faults in our neighbors, not immediately and rashly to condemn them, but after searching our own hearts to begin with, to examine them attentively with the finger of discretion.

BEDE. His writing with His finger on the ground perhaps showed, that it was He who had written the law on stone.So when they continued asking Him, He lifted Himself up.

AUG. He did not say, Stone her not, lest He should seem to speak contrary to the law. But God forbid that He should say, Stone her; for He came not to destroy that which He found, but to seek that which was lost. What then did He answer? He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. This is the voice of justice. Let the sinner be punished, but not by sinners; the law carried into effect, but not by transgressors of the law.

GREG. For he who judges not himself first, cannot know how to judge correctly in the case of another. For though He know what the offense is, from being told, yet He cannot judge of another’s deserts, who supposing himself innocent, will not apply the rule of justice to himself.

AUG. Having with the weapon of justice smitten them, He deigned not even to look on the fallen, but averted His eyes: And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

ALCUIN. This is like our Lord; while His eyes are fixed, and He seems attending to something else, He gives the bystanders an opportunity of retiring: a tacit admonition to us to consider always both before we condemn a brother for a sin, and after we have punished him, whether we are not guilty ourselves of the same fault, or others as bad.

AUG. Thus smitten then with the voice of justice, as with a weapon, they examine themselves, find themselves guilty, and one by one retire: And they which heard it, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest.

GLOSS. The more guilty of them, perhaps, or those who were more conscious of their faults.

AUG. There were left however two, the pitiable, and the pitiful, And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst: the woman, you may suppose, in great alarm, expecting punishment from one in whom no sin could be found. But He who had repelled her adversaries with there word of justice, lifted on her the eyes of mercy, and asked; When Jesus had lifted Himself up, and saw none but the woman, He said to her, Woman, where are these your accusers? Has no man condemned you? She said, No man, Lord. We heard above the voice of justice; let us hear now that of mercy: Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you; I, who you feared would condemn you, because You found no fault in me. What then Lord? Do You favor sin? No, surely. Listen to what follows, Go, and sin no more. So then our Lord condemned sin, but not the sinner. For did He favor sin, He would have said, Go, and live as you will: depend on my deliverance: howsoever great your sins be, it matters not: I will deliver you from hell, and its tormentors. But He did not say this. Let those attend, who love the Lord’s mercy, and fear His truth. Truly, Gracious and righteous is the Lord.

Logged

Many Energies, 3 Persons, 2 Natures, 1 God, 1 Church, 1 Baptism, and 1 Cup. The Son begotten only from the Father, the Spirit proceeding only from the Father, Each glorifying the Other. The Son sends the Spirit, the Spirit Reveals the Son, the Father is seen in the Son. The Spirit spoke through the Prophets and Fathers and does so even today.

One is still to prove that an author is unable to change style or even to quote to prove that so-called interpolations are so.

Besides, here are some Fathers commenting on the passage:

CHAPTER VIII1. Jesus went to the mount of Olives.2. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him; and he sat down, and taught them.3. And the Scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4. They say to him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.5. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what say you? 6. This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.7. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.8. And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even to the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.10. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said to her, Woman, where are those your accusers? has no man condemned you? 11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more.

ALCUIN. Our Lord at the time of His passion used to spend the day in Jerusalem, preaching in the temple, and performing miracles, and return in the evening to Bethany, where He lodged with the sisters of Lazarus. Thus on the last day of the feast, having, according to His wont, preached the whole day in the temple, in the evening He went to the mount of Olives.

AUG. And where ought Christ to teach, except on the mount of Olives; on the mount of ointment, on the mount of chrism. For the name Christ is from chrism, chrism being the Greek word for unction. He has anointed us, for wrestling with the devil.

ALCUIN. The anointing with oil is a relief to the limbs, when wearied and in pain. The mount of Olives also denotes the height of our Lord’s pity, olive in the Greek signifying pity. The qualities of oil are such as to fit in to this mystical meaning. For it floats above all other liquids: and the Psalmist says, Your mercy is over all Your works. And early in the morning, He came again into the temple: i.e. to denote the giving and unfolding of His mercy, i.e. the now dawning light of the New Testament in the faithful, that is, in His temple. His returning early in the morning, signifies the new rise of grace.

BEDE. And next it is signified, that after He began to dwell by grace in His temple, i.e. in the Church, men from all nations would believe in Him: And all the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them.

ALCUIN. The sitting down, represents the humility of His incarnation. And the people came to Him, when He sat down, i.e. after taking up human nature, and thereby becoming visible, many began to hear and believe on Him, only knowing Him as their friend and neighbor. But while these kind and simple persons are full of admiration at our Lord’s discourse, the Scribes and Pharisees put questions to Him, not for the sake of instruction, but only to entangle the truth in their nets: And the Scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say to Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, if the very act.

AUG. They had remarked upon, Him already, as being over lenient. Of Him indeed it had I been prophesied, Ride on because of the word of truth, of meekness, and of righteousness. So as a teacher He exhibited truth, as a deliverer meekness, as a judge righteousness. When He spoke, His truth was acknowledged; when against His enemies He used no violence, His meekness was praised. So they raised the scandal on the score of justice For they said among themselves, If He decide to let her go He will not do justice; for the law cannot command what is unjust: Now Moses in the law commanded as, that such should be stoned: but to maintain His meekness, which has made Him already so acceptable to the people, He must decide to let her go. Wherefore they demand His opinion: And what say You? hoping to find an occasion to accuse Him, as a transgressor of the law: And this they said tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But our Lord in His answer both maintained His justice, and departed not from meekness. Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground.

AUG. As if to signify that such persons were to be written in earth, not in heaven, where He told His disciples they should rejoice they were v written. Or His bowing His head (to write on the ground), is an expression of humility; the writing on the ground signifying that His law was written on the earth which bore fruit, not on the barren stone, as before.

ALCUIN. The ground denotes the human heart, which yields the fruit either of good or of bad actions: the finger jointed and flexible, discretion. He instructs us then, when we see any faults in our neighbors, not immediately and rashly to condemn them, but after searching our own hearts to begin with, to examine them attentively with the finger of discretion.

BEDE. His writing with His finger on the ground perhaps showed, that it was He who had written the law on stone.So when they continued asking Him, He lifted Himself up.

AUG. He did not say, Stone her not, lest He should seem to speak contrary to the law. But God forbid that He should say, Stone her; for He came not to destroy that which He found, but to seek that which was lost. What then did He answer? He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. This is the voice of justice. Let the sinner be punished, but not by sinners; the law carried into effect, but not by transgressors of the law.

GREG. For he who judges not himself first, cannot know how to judge correctly in the case of another. For though He know what the offense is, from being told, yet He cannot judge of another’s deserts, who supposing himself innocent, will not apply the rule of justice to himself.

AUG. Having with the weapon of justice smitten them, He deigned not even to look on the fallen, but averted His eyes: And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

ALCUIN. This is like our Lord; while His eyes are fixed, and He seems attending to something else, He gives the bystanders an opportunity of retiring: a tacit admonition to us to consider always both before we condemn a brother for a sin, and after we have punished him, whether we are not guilty ourselves of the same fault, or others as bad.

AUG. Thus smitten then with the voice of justice, as with a weapon, they examine themselves, find themselves guilty, and one by one retire: And they which heard it, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest.

GLOSS. The more guilty of them, perhaps, or those who were more conscious of their faults.

AUG. There were left however two, the pitiable, and the pitiful, And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst: the woman, you may suppose, in great alarm, expecting punishment from one in whom no sin could be found. But He who had repelled her adversaries with there word of justice, lifted on her the eyes of mercy, and asked; When Jesus had lifted Himself up, and saw none but the woman, He said to her, Woman, where are these your accusers? Has no man condemned you? She said, No man, Lord. We heard above the voice of justice; let us hear now that of mercy: Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you; I, who you feared would condemn you, because You found no fault in me. What then Lord? Do You favor sin? No, surely. Listen to what follows, Go, and sin no more. So then our Lord condemned sin, but not the sinner. For did He favor sin, He would have said, Go, and live as you will: depend on my deliverance: howsoever great your sins be, it matters not: I will deliver you from hell, and its tormentors. But He did not say this. Let those attend, who love the Lord’s mercy, and fear His truth. Truly, Gracious and righteous is the Lord.

Who are the Fathers and what is the source? I'm presuming (but with nothing to go on this may be an unwise assumption) that the Bede above is the St. Bede known as the Venerable Bede, but I've never heard anyone refer to him as a Church Father before.

James

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We owe greater gratitude to those who humble us, wrong us, and douse us with venom, than to those who nurse us with honour and sweet words, or feed us with tasty food and confections, for bile is the best medicine for our soul. - Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

The text is from the Catena Aurea, a work by Thomas Aquinas where he lists the comments of the Fathers on the scriptures passage by passage for all the Four Gospels.

A "Father" does not have to be in an offical list. The Fathers of the Desert, for example, are as much Fathers as any other. The Church never stopped having Fathers of the Church.

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Many Energies, 3 Persons, 2 Natures, 1 God, 1 Church, 1 Baptism, and 1 Cup. The Son begotten only from the Father, the Spirit proceeding only from the Father, Each glorifying the Other. The Son sends the Spirit, the Spirit Reveals the Son, the Father is seen in the Son. The Spirit spoke through the Prophets and Fathers and does so even today.

The text is from the Catena Aurea, a work by Thomas Aquinas where he lists the comments of the Fathers on the scriptures passage by passage for all the Four Gospels.

A "Father" does not have to be in an offical list. The Fathers of the Desert, for example, are as much Fathers as any other. The Church never stopped having Fathers of the Church.

I wasn't trying to argue with you, simply asking who the figures in question were. I was actually more interested in whose words were quoted than I was in who compiled them (especially so now that I know that it was Thomas Aquinas). Is it the St. Bede I referred to for instance? Is Aug. St. Augustine of Hippo or of Canterbury or someone else? Is Alcuin St. Alcuin of York?

As interested as I am in the quotes that you've provided, there really isn't much information to go on in the text that you've given here.

James

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We owe greater gratitude to those who humble us, wrong us, and douse us with venom, than to those who nurse us with honour and sweet words, or feed us with tasty food and confections, for bile is the best medicine for our soul. - Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

The text is from the Catena Aurea, a work by Thomas Aquinas where he lists the comments of the Fathers on the scriptures passage by passage for all the Four Gospels.

A "Father" does not have to be in an offical list. The Fathers of the Desert, for example, are as much Fathers as any other. The Church never stopped having Fathers of the Church.

I wasn't trying to argue with you, simply asking who the figures in question were. I was actually more interested in whose words were quoted than I was in who compiled them (especially so now that I know that it was Thomas Aquinas). Is it the St. Bede I referred to for instance? Is Aug. St. Augustine of Hippo or of Canterbury or someone else? Is Alcuin St. Alcuin of York?

As interested as I am in the quotes that you've provided, there really isn't much information to go on in the text that you've given here.

James

This. When looking through the sermons of St. Augustine on the NT I didn't find even a mention of John 8:1-11. Where do those quotes of St. Augustine come from (don't say the catena aurea but please give the text of St. Augustine himself)

Cyrillic, you are aware that all those "Complete Works" we have around are actually "all the works that remained intact" and that for every Father there are more than one, sometimes many works that were available in the Middle Ages, but no longer are, right?

Many patristic texts are known from quotations from other authorities. I searched some versions online in English and didn't find one in which Thomas Aquinas mentions the original sources. If anything this means that these comments were widely known in his time, to the point that mentioning the source was unnecessary.

As for the identity of the Fathers, yes, it is Chrysostom, Augustine, et al.

Many Energies, 3 Persons, 2 Natures, 1 God, 1 Church, 1 Baptism, and 1 Cup. The Son begotten only from the Father, the Spirit proceeding only from the Father, Each glorifying the Other. The Son sends the Spirit, the Spirit Reveals the Son, the Father is seen in the Son. The Spirit spoke through the Prophets and Fathers and does so even today.

Cyrillic, you are aware that all those "Complete Works" we have around are actually "all the works that remained intact" and that for every Father there are more than one, sometimes many works that were available in the Middle Ages, but no longer are, right?

I am aware of that. Yet St. John Chrysostom was very important to the medieval scribes and in the west there were very few works available. It can be argued that we have access to more works of the Church Fathers than did Thomas Aquinas.

Many patristic texts are known from quotations from other authorities. I searched some versions online in English and didn't find one in which Thomas Aquinas mentions the original sources. If anything this means that these comments were widely known in his time, to the point that mentioning the source was unnecessary.

I doubt it. The problem is that Thomas Aquinas sometimes quoted Pseudo-Chrysostom and his Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum. Thomas Aquinas is known to have said that he would rather have the complete version of Pseudo-Chrysostom's work than be mayor of Paris (see CCSL 87B). Up until the Renaissance many works were attributed to figures like Sts. Chrysostom and Augustine while in reality they didn't write those works. An unsourced quotation to Chrysostom in a work of Aquinas is immediatly suspect.

St. Augustine does treat John 8:1-11 in tractate 33. I should check up on some critical edition of St. Augustine's work though. This is from the 19th century Patrologia Latina. If someone would have access to the Corpus Christianorum Series Latina volume 36 that would be great.

Yet, even if it is not Chrysostom, there are comments about the passage even in early reference, even if misattributed. Since the point here is that the passage is a later addition, the existence of the comment itself is more important than the accurate authorsip.

Cyrillic, you are aware that all those "Complete Works" we have around are actually "all the works that remained intact" and that for every Father there are more than one, sometimes many works that were available in the Middle Ages, but no longer are, right?

I am aware of that. Yet St. John Chrysostom was very important to the medieval scribes and in the west there were very few works available. It can be argued that we have access to more works of the Church Fathers than did Thomas Aquinas.

Many patristic texts are known from quotations from other authorities. I searched some versions online in English and didn't find one in which Thomas Aquinas mentions the original sources. If anything this means that these comments were widely known in his time, to the point that mentioning the source was unnecessary.

I doubt it. The problem is that Thomas Aquinas sometimes quoted Pseudo-Chrysostom and his Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum. Thomas Aquinas is known to have said that he would rather have the complete version of Pseudo-Chrysostom's work than be mayor of Paris (see CCSL 87B). Up until the Renaissance many works were attributed to figures like Sts. Chrysostom and Augustine while in reality they didn't write those works. An unsourced quotation to Chrysostom in a work of Aquinas is immediatly suspect.

« Last Edit: November 20, 2012, 02:57:33 PM by Fabio Leite »

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Many Energies, 3 Persons, 2 Natures, 1 God, 1 Church, 1 Baptism, and 1 Cup. The Son begotten only from the Father, the Spirit proceeding only from the Father, Each glorifying the Other. The Son sends the Spirit, the Spirit Reveals the Son, the Father is seen in the Son. The Spirit spoke through the Prophets and Fathers and does so even today.

Someone mentioned that St. John Chyrsostom never mentioned this story in any of his homilies. Are you entirely sure about that? I highly doubt it. I could have sworn that he commented on that story--he's probably the only Church Father I've been extrensively reading. If I recall correctly, he did in fact mention this story and actually said that what Jesus wrote on the ground was the names of the Pharisees who themselves had committed adultery.

« Thus it may be held for certain, that Tertullian and Cyprian knew nothing of the passage; while Origen and Chrysostom show in their Commentaries, that they were not aware of its existence. It has been indeed objected that nothing is proved by Origen's silence; because he often passes by portions of St. John's Gospel, and he had no occasion to mention this narrative: but, in reading his Commentary on this part of the Gospel, it is difficult (if not impossible) to imagine that he knew of anything between vii. 52 and viii. 12: for he cites and comments on every verse from vii. 40 to 52, and then at once continues from viii. 12 in the same manner (iv. p. 299, ed. De la Rue). The silence of Chrysostom on the subject, as well as that of Cyril of Alexandria, and Theodorus of Mopsuestia, was long ago noticed. »

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«One cannot understand the least thing about modern civilization if one does not first realize that it is a universal conspiracy to destroy the inner life.» (Georges Bernanos)

Someone mentioned that St. John Chyrsostom never mentioned this story in any of his homilies. Are you entirely sure about that? I highly doubt it. I could have sworn that he commented on that story--he's probably the only Church Father I've been extrensively reading. If I recall correctly, he did in fact mention this story and actually said that what Jesus wrote on the ground was the names of the Pharisees who themselves had committed adultery.

« Thus it may be held for certain, that Tertullian and Cyprian knew nothing of the passage; while Origen and Chrysostom show in their Commentaries, that they were not aware of its existence. It has been indeed objected that nothing is proved by Origen's silence; because he often passes by portions of St. John's Gospel, and he had no occasion to mention this narrative: but, in reading his Commentary on this part of the Gospel, it is difficult (if not impossible) to imagine that he knew of anything between vii. 52 and viii. 12: for he cites and comments on every verse from vii. 40 to 52, and then at once continues from viii. 12 in the same manner (iv. p. 299, ed. De la Rue). The silence of Chrysostom on the subject, as well as that of Cyril of Alexandria, and Theodorus of Mopsuestia, was long ago noticed. »

But we just found out that St. Augustine does comment upon it in his tractates.

Someone mentioned that St. John Chyrsostom never mentioned this story in any of his homilies. Are you entirely sure about that? I highly doubt it. I could have sworn that he commented on that story--he's probably the only Church Father I've been extrensively reading. If I recall correctly, he did in fact mention this story and actually said that what Jesus wrote on the ground was the names of the Pharisees who themselves had committed adultery.

« Thus it may be held for certain, that Tertullian and Cyprian knew nothing of the passage; while Origen and Chrysostom show in their Commentaries, that they were not aware of its existence. It has been indeed objected that nothing is proved by Origen's silence; because he often passes by portions of St. John's Gospel, and he had no occasion to mention this narrative: but, in reading his Commentary on this part of the Gospel, it is difficult (if not impossible) to imagine that he knew of anything between vii. 52 and viii. 12: for he cites and comments on every verse from vii. 40 to 52, and then at once continues from viii. 12 in the same manner (iv. p. 299, ed. De la Rue). The silence of Chrysostom on the subject, as well as that of Cyril of Alexandria, and Theodorus of Mopsuestia, was long ago noticed. »

But we just found out that St. Augustine does comment upon it in his tractates.

I was only answering the question concerning John Chrysostom. Concerning Augustine, it is said:

« It is mentioned by Jerome as being found in many copies, by Ambrose, Augustine, and other writers since the fourth century. But, though cited from the time of Augustine and onward, that father was well aware that the passage was far from universally read in the copies then extant; and he endeavored to account for the fact by a conjecture: "nonnulli modicæ, vel potius inimici veræ fidei, credo, metuentes peccandi impunitatem dari mulieribus suis, illud, quod de adulteræ indulgentia dominus fecit, auferrent de codicibus suis, quasi permissionem peccandi tribuerit, qui dixit, Deinceps noli peccare. [Certain persons of little faith, or rather enemies of the true faith, fearing, I suppose, lest their wives should be given impunity in sinning, removed from their manuscripts the Lord's act of forgiveness toward the adulteress, as if he who had said, Sin no more, had granted permission to sin]" (De Adult. Conj., ii. 6, 7.) But this supposition of Augustine would not account for the fact of the omission of this passage having been so general, as it will be shown to be when the testimony of the versions against it is stated. »

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